Lancaster, PA

Root- I felt fortunate to find the healthy plantbased restaurant, Root, in the small town of Lancaster, PA We had a long day of travel and this spot came through for me in a major way. Lancaster is a college town in the middle of menonite Amish country and Root is in the downtown area on a cool little block with some other funky spots. Root has a good vibe, it is a casual spot with a bar and a slant towards vegan comfort food pretty but an overall quite diverse menu. It took some extra planning and motivation to make it here from the outdoor amphitheater where we were playing but it was well worth the effort. I did not see alot of other healthy options in this town, so I highly recommend Root when you are in or traveling through the Lancaster, PA area and looking for healthy fare.

Denver, CO

Watercourse Foods- My staple in Denver! I've been coming to this spot for years and always enjoy stopping in for a healthy meal. The menu is completely vegan and they have lots of gluten free options as well. On this trip I tried the vegan chorizo hash, a hash of chorizo, black beans, sweet potato fries, scrambled tofu, caramelized onions, with a green chili, avocado creme and corn tortillas. Watercourse calls themselves vegan comfort food which I sometimes avoid but they manage to do it a healthy way and always have lighter options as well. The prices are decent and the vibe is always good at Watercourse. They definitely get busy so be prepared for a wait if you head there high traffic time for going out.   

Grand Junction, CO

Namaste- We've done many drives through Colorado and as you go farther east on i70, good, healthy food can be hard to come by. We often pass through Grand Junction and I get the feeling this will be the last opportunity for decent food for quite awhile. On this last trip I searched and I was so glad to find this Nepalese restaurant! They have both Nepalese and Indian food options and the food is great! They have vegan and vegetarian options and the prices are super reasonable. I had the Vegetarian Thali dinner, where you can choose 2 vegan entrees and you also get a awesome array of veggie curry, samosa, rice and dal soup. It was a generous amount of food for $12.95 and everything was prepared with care. The vibe there is casual and the people working there couldn't have been more friendly. They really made sure that we all enjoyed our meal and had everything we needed. If passing through this area of Colorado, I highly recommend stopping by Namaste!

Steamboat Springs, CO

Rootz Cafe- When it comes to eating healthy in Steamboat Springs, Rootz Cafe is the place. After a morning of tennis at the Steamboat Tennis Center and a run at high altitude I was ready for some nourishment. Rootz is a great spot in downtown Steamboat, which offers fresh organic juices, superfood smoothies, wraps, salads, rice/quinoa bowls and more. There menu has local, organic items and they have many vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options. I got the 'Maya bowl' with massaged kale, brown rice, black beans, avocado, red onions, grape tomatoes, red pepper, purple cabbage and subbed in spirulina pesto (instead of the yogurt sauce). This dish was fantastic! The pesto was a welcome addition. I also got the 'Aries'- A veggie juice with carrot, basil, tomato, celery, cucumber, lemon, garlic. The prices here are totally reasonable and given that it is a Colorado mountain town, the prices are really winning. Just a heads up they close at 6pm. These guys really do it right and Im glad to hit them up whenever we play in Steamboat. Big up Rootz Cafe!

Boston, MA

Life Alive- Life Alive is such a winner! Located in Central Square, this organic cafe has a smoothie/juice bar as well as great food options, made to order salads, plates and wraps. Everything I have gotten from Life Alive has been on point. On this trip, I ordered the 'Superhero Alive' green juice made with: Carrot, apple, ginger, spirulina, garlic, and apple cider vinegar. This juice was amazing! A very nice mix of sweet and savory. I also got the goddess wrap, which was exceptionally good. The vibe is very casual, you order at the counter and find your seat in the main area, outside or downstairs. I like the decor as well- Life Alive has funky vibe. As if all that wasn't enough, the prices here are totally reasonable. These guys definitely are doing it right all around- if in the Boston area looking to eat healthy, Life Alive is a great option.

Brooklyn, NY

M.O.B.-  Tourganic is always happy to report on plantbased restaurant options in Brooklyn! M.O.B. comes through for us in the downtown area of Brooklyn, which surprisingly doesn't have a ton of healthy/vegan options: To be honest, M.O.B. is stronger on the vegan side with less emphasis on the healthy. The menu mainly consists of veggie burgers, sandwiches, a few appetizers and smoothies. I'm not a big veggie burger guy but this place does it right as everything is made in house. I had the M.O.B. veggie burger which was great (they offer gluten free bread if you request) it came with good veggies on top and with a nice side salad. The vibe is super cool in M.O.B. and the only drawback is the price. I think my veggie burger was around $16! Whoa! That price will keep me from going often but if in that area and looking for a good veggie option or after a Nets game/concert at Barclays- a trip to M.O.B. is a solid choice.

New Orleans, LA

CARMO- People say you can't eat healthy in New Orleans, not true!! Its took me years of touring through Nola to find some great spots but now I have a bunch of go to's and Carmo is one of my favorites. They have great vegan, healthy and plantbased options. My regular dish (pictured) is the broken noodle salad. It is fantastic, I often get that with a small (but actually great size!) green salad which makes an awesome healthy dinner. Carmo is located near the CBD, where alot of the hotels are and not far from the French Quarter, so the location is prime. Also the interior is super cool, the prices are totally fair (and they have organic and local produce). All this makes Carmo a total winner!! It can get busy, so show up early especially if your there during mardi gras or jazz fest!

Los Angeles, CA

Shojin- Wow Shojin! This place is absolutely awesome. The macrobiotic vegan Japanese cuisine food is so carefully and skillfully prepared. I went to the Shojin downtown location, not too far from Teragram Ballroom. Shojin does come with a price tag but it isn't ridiculously overpriced, just be ready to drop some cash. I think we spent $50 each with no alcohol (I haven't spent that much on a meal in quite a while) but seeing I was visiting with my best friend in LA, it was well worth a special occasion. We got a salad, 2 rolls and a ramen each. Every course was exquisitely prepared with such care. The vegan sushi rolls were amazing. Green Dynamite 2.0 (Avocado wrapped carrot brown rice roll with mashed avocado, chili, lemon, cilantro and green chili sauce) and Yellow Magic Orchestra roll. 
The interior is cool as well, strangely it is located on the 3rd floor of a Japanese mall. Definitely not where you'd expect to find a restaurant of this caliber but that kinda adds to the charm. Very intimate vibe, good date spot. Just a heads up there was a bit of a wait for a table and I got the impression there could have a been quite a wait if you get there at the wrong time. Overall, totally amazing creative, vegan food in LA!

Joshua Tree, CA

Natural Sisters Cafe- Natural Sisters is a great find in in the desert of Joshua Tree, CA! We have played a few festivals out the High Desert and Natural Sisters always comes through for us with healthy vegan goodness. They have a good juice bar and decent smoothie selection. I got the curried rice wrap- it was a bit bland but the tahini sauce gave it what it needed and as a bonus it came with a side of quinoa. I wanted the veggie burger but it was made with dairy which was a tad bit disappointing for me but my friend had it and loved it. Just a heads up the few times I have been there, Natural Sisters was jammed! The line to just to order was at least 10 people deep, so be sure to budget some time. Natural Sisters was great meal at a totally reasonable price, in an area where there are not many healthy options!

Ashland, OR

Sauce- Looking for a healthy dinner in Ashland, OR? Look no further, Sauce is the place. I was so glad to find this place before our show in Ashland. I had quite an active day with a few hours of tennis (big shout out to Ashland Tennis and Fitness Club!) and a long run and I was so glad to find this great place. The vibe is very casual, which if you read my blog- you know I dig the laid back, healthy spots. Sauce has different rice bowls, salads and healthy plates with a kind of vegan, indian food direction. I chose the 'Rajistan'- steamed Kale, yams, dahl puree, cauliflower, some other veggies and brown rice. The bowl came with some great sauces (true to their name!) including an awesome green sauce. These guys have organic ingredients and the prices was about $10 a bowl. It closed at about 9pm and it was pretty busy, so plan accordingly. I can't wait to return next time we play in Ashland!

Bridgeport, CT

Bloodroot- What a find in Bridgeport! Bloodroot is such a great restaurant and luckily was about a 10 minute walk from the venue. Bloodroot serves all plantbased, vegan food and is located in a residential neighborhood in what looks like a house! I had the tostadas, which were served with avocado, green rice and homemade jicama salsa. They were fantastic. I also had a good simple salad to start. Besides the great food, I was so happy to hear that Bloodroot has been open for 39 years!! The women that own Bloodroot are very committed to health and I was glad to make their aquaintance. Bloodroot is not cheap (about $19 for an entree) but the quality makes it worth it. I highly recommend coming to Bloodroot if in the area or if passing through!

Beverly MA

Organic Garden- What a great find in Beverly MA. This plantbased, vegan restaurant/juice bar is a bit off the beaten path about 40 minutes north of Boston. They had so many good options! I went with the Harvest Bowl- with quinoa, spinach, butternut squash, cranberry, sprouts and muchi curry. It was awesome! They have a full juice and smoothie menu as well as vegan and gluten free baked goods. The ambiance is very relaxed and the prices were cool, especially given that everything is organic. Overall, a gem of a find!

Waltham, MA

Masao's Kitchen- My favorite place for many years in Boston- is Masao's Kitchen. Masao's (which is actually located in the nearby suburb Waltham) serves up macrobiotic, gluten free, vegan fare at its best. It is a pay by weight system and you can select how much of each dish you want at the buffet, where Masao serves you. There are rotating dishes by the day and it is always top notch quality and cooking. The atmosphere is casual and very relaxed. The owner and chef Masao is almost always there and with a smile! Masao's Kitchen is a must if in the Boston area looking for healthy lunch or dinner! 

Brooklyn, NY

Wild Ginger- Got to give a shout out to one of our neighborhood vegan spots Wild Ginger. They consistently have good vegan options for the Brooklynites looking for healthy options. The food is pan Asian and they have lots of good items to choose from. The dishes can be a it heavy on the soy based/meat alternatives but you can avoid that and get a plantbased vegetable dish if if you so desire. They moved from the old standby location on Bedford to North 10th st. The interior is a nice vibe and when the weather is nice they keep the giant front window open, which gives it a nice open air feel. I highly recommend going for the lunch special. A main dish comes with miso soup and spring roll for around $10.  They aren’t too any totally vegan options in Williamsburg, so definitely worth a trip to Wild Ginger.

Bellingham, WA

Maikham- I have always struggled to find healthy options when we are playing in Bellingham. There is the Co- Op organic market, which has a juice bar and good options but closes way early, as do many restaurants in the area. Before the show last night we discovered this Laotian restaurant. Laotian food seems to be very similar to Thai but with some different veggies and spices. We both got curries, I chose the Red Curry. It was totally vegan and they were fine with no tofu and giving me extra veggies (always a plus). The highlight at Maikham was the fresh roll. It was indeed fresh and very tasty! They also had housemade peanut sauce, which was a nice touch. The ambiance is super casual, you order at the counter and the prices are reasonable. $10 for a curry with brown rice. Also the owner was very friendly and explained how they are a new place and she is trying to offer healthy options and cater to people seeking vegetarian food in Bellingham. Thumbs up for that!

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Eugene, OR

Morning Glory- This is my staple in Eugene. Awesome old school, vegetarian, healthy spot. They are only open until 3:30pm (so plan accordingly!) Morning Glory has a comfy vibe and the prices are totally reasonable. They have amazing salads and pretty much everything on the menu seems to be great. Morning Glory has vegetarian brunch items- Some of there highlights are: '3 Sisters' their housemade mushroom gravy with sauteed veggies, 'The Bomblette' their take on an omelet with tons of veggies in a potato shell and as previousy mentioned the salads (with homemade dressings) are always great. They also have a small selection of fresh juices (carrot, grapefruit, orange) a fruit smoothie of the month and tons of teas and coffee. If in Eugeene for breakfast or lunch, Morning Glory is not to be missed.

Portland, OR

Blossoming Lotus- There are many healthy options in Portland and this is a great one. Our show was at The Wonder Ballroom in Northeast Portland and this was about a 20min walk away from the venue. Well worth the short stroll! The place is all vegan and has a nice vibe. Its somewhat upscale (not in price though!) and has a classy, relaxed interior.  I had 2 adventurous plant-based dishes. We shared an appetizer of 'spicy live nachos'. Raw 'live' chips made of nuts and seeds, cashew 'sour cream', pecan 'chorizo', cilantro, avocado and spices. Strange but awesome. My entree was a vegan Bim Bim Bap, which was not your traditional style and was awesome. I actually was convinced by seeing someone at the table next to me and it looked sooo good. My buddy got the Green Bowl, which was also a total winner. Overall, a great look in Portland for healthy eats.

Grass Valley, CA

Taste of Thai- This is our now our staple dinner spot when playing in Grass Valley. Its right down the street from the venue we play at and a cool vibe. I love the decor and how they built it out. Taste of Thai doesn’t have a ton of vegetarian and vegan options on menu but the quality of the cooking is very good. Good thing I asked because it turns out only the yellow curry is vegan. The rest of their curries have shrimp paste, which is a little disappointing but hey I’m thankful they have at least one totally vegan curry! Props to Taste of Thai though, we went with a huge group before the show and the service was great and everybody loved what they had!

Arcata, CA

Wildflower- There aren’t a ton of options in Arcata and Wildflower is a solid vegan restaurant and a short walk from the venue, Arcata Theater. I usually eat at the local Co-op, when traveling through Arcata but this time we wanted more of a sit down vibe before the show. It's very laid back and when we went around 8:30pm on a Friday night there were a few other tables filled with college students but it was surprisingly mellow/empty in there. I went with the ‘Dragon Bowl’ a steamed veggie with soba noodles dish. It was simple and good, I put some sesame seeds in it, which gave it a nice texture and added some hot sauce. The prices are affordable and servers were friendly and they do have organic veggies! Nothing fantastic about this place but a good look for a casual healthy dinner when in Arcata.

Santa Barbara, CA

Solid gourmet deli in Santa Barbara, right down the street from Soho music Hall where we played in Santa Barbara. I love that they list their organic items on the board right where you walk in. They have a salad bar with great specialty items like sun dried tomatoes, hearts of palm, roasted garlic, different nuts/seeds as well as the usual veggies and greens and Braggs organic dressings. It is $10.95 a pound, which is pretty steep considering the salad bar is not totally organic. The case has some great prepared dishes as well. I got the forbidden rice salad, which was organic black rice with sweet potato and some other veggies, which was great! The ambiance is nice with a small fountain in the center of the dining room. Overall, Savoy Cafe is a good, casual healthy food stop in Santa Barbara. Glad I found it.